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J
jaymerjaymer
Participant
August 4, 2022
Answered

Data Merge. Need to embed a carriage return placeholder in CSV to make hard breaks in paragraph

  • August 4, 2022
  • 1 reply
  • 1444 views

I've seen this question asked many ways... but I don't think the GREP discussions were about data merge files.  

And I've seen it here about XML data, but this method doesn't work either (https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/including-carriage-return-with-xml-table-data/m-p/7759546)

 

I have a text file for data merge.

I can make it csv or tab delimited or whatever else you tell me.

One of the fields is a formatted paragraph with CRs. So it forces a hard break in the txt file.  DataMerge stops reading that record at that CR.  So I can string it all into one line without any issue.  On my end, I can replace the CR with a token.

 

I've tried <br/>, and &#13; and &x0d; and all those just appear as literals in my merged data.

I've watched the "Solis" video (both).

Someone please tell me what I need to do - PLEASE!

Thanks in advance!

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Joel Cherney

Well, what I always do when I'm in your shoes is:

1) In my text editor, I replace all my hard breaks with something weird that doesn't appear in the document (Thai currency symbol, Linear B, something that would never appear in the document I'm working on) and save

2) Merge the document in ID

3) Replace the "something weird" with a hard return using Find/Change (or a soft return, if that's more appropriate to the circumstance)

 

 

1 reply

Joel Cherney
Community Expert
Joel CherneyCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
August 5, 2022

Well, what I always do when I'm in your shoes is:

1) In my text editor, I replace all my hard breaks with something weird that doesn't appear in the document (Thai currency symbol, Linear B, something that would never appear in the document I'm working on) and save

2) Merge the document in ID

3) Replace the "something weird" with a hard return using Find/Change (or a soft return, if that's more appropriate to the circumstance)

 

 

    J
    jaymerjaymerAuthor
    Participant
    August 6, 2022

    thx, but this doesn't really help me. 

    Hope someone else has something better.

    I already said I can replace the CR (carriage return) with something else, so no need for step #1.

    This is something that needs to be done "automatically" with some sort of macro/script/JS/GREP style/etc.

     

    Peter Spier
    Community Expert
    Peter SpierCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 6, 2022

    DataMerge is a very simplistic feature. The only way to handle your problem is as Joel described. Add some glyph or string (I tend to use "N/L") and then do a Find/Change after the merge.

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